There's been a lotta hoopla of late over bánh mì, and I suppose its time has come; they're an economical, multi-layered double-hand of temperatures and textures, at once refreshing and hearty.
For me, it's nostalgic, too--in harder times, when cooking wasn't always feasible, Momma Foodie (a single mom) would treat the Effing BroBros and I to a bagful of bánh mì for dinner.
So I'll admit, I get persnickety about them, and despite Viet sandwicheries blooming across the boroughs like mushrooms after food marketing rain, it's a specialty that I have to hand over to the West Coast for dominance. (Like tacos.)
Don't get me wrong! I enjoyed Baoguette's bánh mì well enough, and at $5, it's a quality buy in NY. The bread was warm, and since I'd opted "spicy" when asked, the cool pickles foiled well with the sliced jalapenos and highly seasoned crumbles of what I am assuming was terrine (it brought to mind uncased chorizo).
But the pate was notably absent, and the single, thin slices of pork roll and ham hardly registered at all. Once the bread cooled, it toughened up, making for awkward, uneven bites.
'Twas a bang-up sandwich, no question, but I've had better bánh mì. Still...this'll be a perfectly respectable fix when I'm missing Momma Foodie.
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Baoguette
31 Lexington Ave,
(Btwn 25th and 26th)
Murray Hill/Kips Bay
NYC, NY 10010
Ph: 212-518-4089
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